Tubular belt conveyer



May 7, 1940. sE JOHNS 2,199,935

TUBULAR BELT CONVEYER' Filed sept. 8, 1939 f-i@ T51-111%:

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@il @ff/( Atty Patented May 7, 1940 VPis-.TENT OFFICE TUBULAR BELTooNvEYER Henry Stinson Johns,'Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to BancroftHoldings Limited, Hamilton, nf tario, Canada, a joint-stock company ofOntario, Canada y Application. september s, 1939,` seria1N0.z93,s'z3

s claims.

l 2,108,488, February 15, 1938. v'In my Patent vNo.

2,108,488, I disclose an apparatus for opening my conveying tube for thereception and discharge of material.

, The object of my present invention is to pro- `vide a simple apparatusfor retaining the tube in its open position, particularly for thereception of material, although the same apparatus could be used forretaining the tube open for the discharge of material.

As will be lseen upon reference to my previous patents, my conveyingtube is provided with four external ribs extending therealong and afurther object'of myinvention is to provide means engaging the sides ofseveral of the ribs to retain the tube in a split open position.

With the foregoing and other objects in view as shall hereinafterappear, my invention consists of an apparatusconstructed and arrangedall as hereinafter more particularlyA described and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which:V

y Figure 1 is a side velevational View of a feeding apparatusconstructed in accordance with my invention. v

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-sectional View through the apparatus.I

Figure 3 is a similar View to Figure 2, showing a unitary tubular beltpassing through a modified construction of my feeding apparatus, and,

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view through a unitary tubular beltshowing it in the normal closed material carrying position. f

Like charactersof reference indicate corresponding parts in thedifferent lviews ofl the drawing.

disclosed in my United States Patent No. 2,013,242, September 3, 1935,my conveyer tube can be either in the form of a pair of troughshapedbelts which run together to constitute the material carrying tube, ormay be in the form of a unitary tubular belt having a slit extendingalong one side through which material is received or 'discharged whenthe belt is opened. In'rnY United States Patent No. 2,108,488, Feb- :ioruary l5, 1938, I show myconveyer tube, formed the openv slit.

Figure 1 is a side elevational viewcf a material feeding apparatusthrough which y my tube is passed. With rthis apparatus, as illustratedin Figures l and 2, the pair of trough-shaped belts forming the tube runside by side in the same manner as disclosed in my United States PatentNo. 2,108,488. The tube comprises two troughshaped be-lts Il ofsubstantially semi-circular trough form which enclose and form amaterial carrying bore 2l Each belt is formed with a centrallypositioned longitudinal rib 3 and a pair of edge anges 4 wherein thecomplementary flanges of the two belts form another pair of ribs of thesame dimensions as the ribs 3. The belts are made of rubber and areretained against longitudinal stretching by chains 5 embedded in theribs 3. The abutting faces of the iianges 4 are preferably formed withinterlocking tongues and grooves 6 and 1. To retain material againstslipping inthe tube, particularly in vertical rises, the

belts may be formed with spaced apart ribs '8 which substantiallyfollowl the curvature of the inner faces of the tubes. f

My apparatus comprises a plurality of rollers 9 journalled between apair of spaced apart angle members I0 running along the bottom oi myapparatus and upon which the lower iianges 4 of the tubular belt ride.The rollers may be formed with side anges II to retain the belt flanges4 from splitting apart. The central rollers 9A, if so desired, can bepositioned at a higher elevation than the outer rollers-9 so the bottomof the belt is arched upwardly to assist in splitting it open, followingmy invention as disclosed in my The rollers I2 are so positioned thatwhenthe y ribs 3 on the belts are adjusted underneath the rollers, therollers, through pressing against the top faces of the ribs, retain thebelts in the split open position. l 'Ihe lower rollers I3 are spacedapart from the upper rollers I2 a distance substantially equal to thethickness of the ribs 3 and thus help to retain the belt in its adjustedposition as it passes through my feeding apparatus'. The apparatuscontains a plurality of pairs of rollers l2 and I3 which are suitablypositioned upon the platesl I4, as illustrated in Figure 1. The feedhopper I5 forms part of theV feeding apparatus and is suitably supportedto direct material into the split open belts. The ends of the sideplates I4 are suitably supported upon end frames I6 positioned on eitherside of the feed hopper I5.

In Figure 3 I show a slight modification of my apparatus wherein I onlyprovide the rollers I2 to engage the upper faces of the'belt ribs, andin place of the flanged rollers 9, furnish similarly positioned rollersII which are not formed with flanges. The rest of the construction inthis modification is similar to the construction shown in Figure 2. Theapparatus shown in Figure 3 contains a unitary tubular rub-ber belt I8in place of a tube made up of two trough-belts, as illustrated in Figure2. This belt I8 has its lower rib I9 riding upon the rollers I1 and theupper faces of its ribs 20 engaged by the rollers I2. The ribs 20 alsocontain embedded chains 2 I. This unitary y slitted `elastic tube fromits pre-formed tubular belt can also be formed with a plurality ofspaced apart material retaining flight ribs 22 which substantiallyfollow the curvature of the inner face of the tube. In Figure 4 I show aunitary tubular belt in the normal closed material carrying positionwherein the V-shaped faces of the anges 23 interengage.

When my tubular conveyer is in operation, the embedded chains in thesides of the tube are substantially taut and it will therefore be appreciated, when the tube'is adjusted underneath the feeding hopper I5,with the upper faces of its side ribs engaging the rollers I2, and thelower rib engaging either the rollers 9 or Il, that with the variousrollers being properly positioned, the belt will be opened along itsupper slit in passing through my hopper, as illustrated in Figures 2 and3. Before the tube enters the material feeding apparatus it is closed,as illustrated in Figure 4 and also as described in my United StatesPatents Nos. 2,013,242 and 2,108,488, and when it passes out of suchapparatus it again resumes the closed position. As the split openportion of the belt in my feeding apparatus is somewhat in the shape ofan elongated lozenge, as shown in Figure 3 of my United States PatentNo. 2,108,488, the tube entering portion of the feeding hopper is alsomade of the same shape.

Although I have shown sets ofrollers for engaging the ribs of the tubefor splitting the tube open, it is to be understood that I can usestationary members slidably engaging the ribs instead of the rollers,without departing from the spirit of my invention, and that furthermoreI can make such changes and alterations as I may from time to time deemnecessary without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forthin the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. In a conveying mechanism, a moving preformed tube having the elasticcharacteristics of rubber and formed with a material carrying bore andhaving a longitudinally extending slit-like opening through the wallthereof, a pair of ribs positioned substantially opposite one another onthe outer face of the tube and ,spaced away from the slit, and membersbearing against the sides of the ribs to open the slitted elastic tube,from its pre-formed tubular shape for thereception or discharge ofmaterial.

2. In a conveying mechanism, a moving preformed tube having the Lelasticcharacteristics of rubber and formed with a material carrying bore andhaving a longitudinally extending slit-like opening through the wallthereof, a pair of ribs positioned substantially opposite one another onthe outer face of the tube andspaced away from the slit, a memberengaging the side of the tube opposite the slitted side of the tube, andmembers exerting a pressure against the sides of the ribs adjacent tothe slitted side of the tube to open the slitted elastic tube from itspre-formed tubular shape for the reception or discharge of material.

3. In a conveying mechanism, amo-ving preformed tube having the elasticcharacteristics of rubber and formed with a material carrying bore" andhaving a longitudinally extending slit-like opening through the wallthereof, a pair of ribs positioned substantially op-posite one anotheron the outer face of the tube and spaced away from the slit, a rollerengaging the side of the tube opposite the slitted side of the tube, andmembers exerting a pressure against the sides of the ribs adjacent theslitted side of the tube to open the shape for the receptionl ordischarge of material. .I

4. In a conveying mechanism, a moving preformed tubey having the elasticcharacteristics of rubber and formed with a material carrying bore andhaving av longitudinally extending slit-like opening through the wallthereof, a pair of ribs positioned substantially opposite one another onthe outer face of the tube and `spaced away from the slit, a memberengaging the, side ofthe tube opposite the slitted side ,of the tube,and rollers engaging and exerting a pressure` against `the sides of theribs adjacent the slitted side of the tube to open thev slitted elastictube from its preformed tubular shape for the reception o-r dis-v chargeof material. Y

5. In a conveying mechanism, a moving preformed tube having the elasticcharacteristics of rubber and formed with a material carrying bore andhaving a longitudinally extending slit-like opening through the Wallthereof, a pair ofribs positioned substantially opposite one anotheronthe outer face of the tube and spaced away from the slit, a rollerengaging the side of the tube opposite the slitted side of the tube, androllers engaging and exerting a pressure against the sides of the ribsadjacent the slitted side of the tube to open the slitted elastictubefrom its preformed tubular shape for the reception or discharge ofmaterial.

6. In a conveying mechanism, a moving preformed tube having the elasticcharacteristics of rubber-and formedwith a material carrying bore andhaving a` longitudinally extending slit-like opening through ,the wallthereof, a pair of Vribs positioned substantially opposite one anotheron the outer facey of the tube and spaced away from the slit, and aplurality of rollers engaging the sides of each rib, the lrollers beingso positioned that the slitted elastic tube in passing betweeny therollers with its ribs in engagement therewith is opened from itspre-formed tubular shape for the reception or discharge of material.

'7. In a conveying mechanism,l a moving preformed tube having theelastic characteristics of rubber and formed with a material carryingbore and havingl a longitudinally extending slit-like opening throughthe wall thereof, a pair of ribs positioned substantially opposite .oneanother on the outerface of the tube and Vspaced away from the slit,means embedded in the ribs to retain the belt against stretch, rollersengagingthe side of the tube opposite the siittedside or the tube, and aplurality of rollers Vengaging the side of each rib adjacent the slittedside of the-tube,y

the rib engaging rollers being so positioned that the slitted elastictube in passing between said rollers with its vribs in engagementtherewith is opened from its pre-formed tubular shape for the reception'or discharge of material.

8. In a conveying mechanism, a moving preformed tube having the elasticcharacteristics of rubber and formed with a material carrying bore andhaving a longitudinally extending slit-like opening through the wallthereof, a pair of ribs positioned substantially opposite one another onthe outer face of the tube and spaced away from the slit, means embeddedin the ribs to retain the belt against stretch, a set of spaced apartrollers forming an arch in relation to the path of travel of the tubeand engaging the side of the tube opposite the slitted side of the tube,and sets of rollers, each set of rollers engaging the side of each ribadjacent the slitted side of the tube, the rib engaging sets of rollersbeing so positioned that the slitted elastic tube in passing betweensaid rollers with its ribs in engagement therewith is opened from itspre-formed tubular 10 shape for the reception or discharge of material.

HENRY STINSON JOHNS.

